Electrically-propelled car



(No Model.)

R. M. HUNTER. ELEGTRICALLY PROPELLED OAR.

No. 425,883. Patented Apr. 15,1890.

4 )znvenfor W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRlCALLY-PROPELLED CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,883, datedApril'15, 1890. Application filed October 31, 1889. Serial No.328,876.(N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Im- 5provement in Electrically-Propelled Cars, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to electricallypropelled cars; and itconsists of certain improvements, all of which are fully set forth inthe following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings,which form a part thereof.

This application (Case 119) relates to regulating apparatus forelectrically propelling vehicles, and is designed to overcome thedangers which are liable to arise in the operation of electric cars bycareless handling of the hand regulator by the operator. In theoperation of electric cars the operator, if careless, is apt to throw onexcessive current, and thereby not only cause the needless loss of powerat the generating-station, but also ondangers the insulation of themotor, and otherwise puts a heavy strain upon the machinery. Experiencehas shown that many motors are destroyed in this manner, andparticularly so in the cases where a railway extends over irregularground and where steep grades are abruptly terminated.

In carrying out my invention I provide the car with an automaticregulator independent of the regulator of. the operator, which operates,upon the passage of any abnormal current or of any abnormal speed ot themotor and vehicle produced thereby, to shut down the current and preventthe speed increasing beyond a given limit. In this manner it isimpossible for the operator to throw on more than a current sufficientto obtain and maintain a predetermined speed, and hence it overcomes thetendency of such operator to play with the electric car or power to suchan extent as to endanger the motor.

In the drawings, Figure I is a plan view illustrating the constructionof an electric car embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 i a general viewillustrating a modified arran ment of the regulating mechanism.

The car is provided with one or more electric motors 13, which may ben'iechanically connected with the axle in any suitable manner so as topropel the car. The motor is in cluded in a motor-circuit II, whichreceives current from a battery G, carried on or moving with the car orfrom two line-conductors by suitable contact devices S. The motorcircuitcontains a hand controller A of any suitable construction forcontrolling the speed of the motor; also, included in the motor-circuitis a resistance 0 and a resistance-changing lever F, pivoted atf andoperated by a governor I) to throw in more or less of said resistanceautomatically upon the speed of the motor increasing beyond a givenamount. The governor may be operated by a belt E from the axle, or itmight be arranged permanently upon the axle or upon the motorshaft. Infact, the governor maybe operated by any rotating portion of theelectric car.

The operation will now be understood. The current is passed to the motorthrough circuit II, and the speed of the motor is regulated by thehandregulator A in the usual way. It the speed increases beyond apredetermined point, the governor D operates to shift the lever F, so asto throw in more or less of the resistances C, and thereby automaticallyshut down the flow of currents through the motor-circuit, causing thespeed of the motor to be reduced. As the speed is reduced thegovernor 1) cuts out more or less of the resistances C until the maximumpredetermined speed or a lower speed is reached and maintained, andwhich speed may be varied at any time by the operator manipulating theregulator A. lly this it will be seen that the operator cannot run thecar faster than the given speed, but may have absolute control belowthat speed.

In Fig. 2 is shown an arrangement whereby the resistances O are insertedor out out by a switch F, operated by an. electro helix and core formingan electric governor I), designed for auton'ratically insertingresistances O proportionall y as he operator abnormally reduces theresistance to the current by the hand regulator A. A spring (Z opposesthe movement of the switch-lever F, so that it shall not move until anabnormal. current is flowing through the motor. This device operates onthe same general principle as that shown in Fig. l, but simply employsan electric governor instead of a centrifugal governor. This electricgovernor responds quickly to any abnormal current being thrown into themotor suddenly and before an appreciable counter electromotive force wasgenerated, and thereby insures thorough protection to the motor. It isevident that the switch may be operated to vary the motor resistance inthe manner set out in my patents, No. 385,054, dated June 26, 1888, No.384,912, dated June 9, 1888, in which cases no external resistances ofthe motor are employed, but in which the coils on the motor are coupledin different manners to vary the resistance of the motor-circuit.

It will be understood that whether the elec tric governor shown in Fig.2 is used in place of the centrifugal governor shown in Fig. 1 theautomatic regulator is still an electricallyactuated governor. This willbe apparent when it is borne in mind that the centrifugal governordepends for its operation on the energizing of the electric motor tovary the speed of the rotating parts, and is essentially, thoughindirectly, a part of the governing mechanism. The helix in Fig. 2 isonly a simple form of motor, and in this case it alone can be dependedupon for controlling the current when it is abnormal in motor-circuit.

I do not limit myself to the details herein set out, as my inventioncomprehends,broadly, any automatic mechanism, combined with a handcurrent-regulator, which shall operate independently of the handcurrent-regulator to reduce the current automatically upon the speed ofthe motor becoming excessive through careless or intentional abnormalmanipulation of the hand regulator by the operator.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is 1. In an electrically-propelled vehicle,the combination of the motor, a source of electric energy, amotor-circuit, a hand current-regulator for controlling the speed of themotor, and an independent automatically-operating regulator to reducethe current in the motorcircuit upon the speed of the motor becomingabnorn'ial through the careless manipulation of the hand-operatedregulator.

2. In an electrically-propelled vehicle, the combination of the motor,asource of electric energy, a motor-circuit, a hand current-regulatorfor controlling the speed of the motor, and an independent automaticmechanicallyoperating governor-regulator connecting with a rotating partof the car and controlled by the speed of the electric motor to reducethe current in the motor-circuit upon the speed of the motor becomingabnormal through careless manipulation of the hand-operated regulator.

3. In an electrically-propelled vehicle, the combination of a motormechanically connected to drive the axle, a source of electric energy, amotor-circuit to supply current to the motor, a hand current-regulatorto control the speed of the motor, and an independent centrifugalregulator controlled by the speed of the motor to reduce the currentflowing through the motor automatically upon the speed of the motorincreasing abnormally.

4. In an electrically-prepelled vehicle, the combination of an electricmotor mechanically connected to rotate the axle, a source of electricenergy, a motor-circuit and hand currentregulator to control the speedof the motor, a variable resistance, and a centrifugal governor,independent of the hand current-regulator, controlled by the speed ofthe motor to insert more or less of said resistances upon the speed ofthe motor increasing above a predetermined point.

5. The combination, in an electrically-pro pelled vehicle, of a motormechanically connected to rotate the axle, a source of electric energy,a motor-circuit, a hand current-regulater to control the speed of themotor, a re sistance, and a resistance-changing switch independent ofthe hand regulator to insert more or less of said resistances upon thespeed of the motor increasing above the maximum predetermined speed.

6. In an electrically-prepelled vehicle, the combination of a motor topropel the vehicle, a source of electric energy, a motor-circuit, ahand-operated current-regulator to control the speed of the motor, andan independent electrically-eontrolled currentgovernor for controllingthe current passing through the motor to automatically reduce thecurrent when the same shall become abnormal.

7 In an electrically-propelled vehicle, the combination of a motor topropel the vehicle, a source of electric energy, a motor-circuit, ahand-operated current-regulator to control the speed of the motor, andan independent electrically-controlled current-governor independent ofthe hand regulator for varying the resistance of the motor-circuit andcontrolling the current passing through the motor to automaticallyreduce the current when the same shall become abnormal.

In testimony of which invention I have hercunto set my hand.

RUDOLPH M. HUNTER.

\Vitnesses:

ERNEST HOWARD HUNTER, S. T. YnnKns.

